Things You'll Need:
- Hawaiian Guitar (aka Hawaiian Steel Guitar)
- Steel Bar
- Thumb Pick
- Two Finger Picks
- Amp (if using an electric guitar)
- Some Ability to Read Music
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Step 1
Lay the Hawaiian guitar across your lap, with the strings up. Recent modifications have resulted in guitars with legs, allowing them to rest upright by themselves so the musician can stand while playing. Whether you are using a traditional Hawaiian guitar that lies across your lap, or you play a newer model that allows you to stand, the fretboard, strings and sound hole should all face the ceiling.
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Step 2
Tune the Hawaiian guitar. There is no set way to do this. Players all have their own preference. You could start by tuning it according to tradition:(1-6) E ,C#, A, E, A and E. This is believed to have been the tuning first used by Hawaiians when the guitar was invented. As you progress, adjust the tuning to your liking.
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Step 3
Hold the steel bar in your left hand and slide it to the right and left (also called sliding up and down) along the strings. This movement will raise and lower the pitch. Some musicians use plastic or glass bars, but the steel bar is by far the most popular.
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Step 4
Place a thumb pick (this pick has a relatively large shank) on the right thumb, and finger picks on the first two fingers of your right hand.
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Step 5
Pluck the strings using the picks as you slide the bar up and down with your left hand. Melodies are played by plucking one string at a time–single notes. Harmonies are created by plucking two strings at once. Playing three strings at once will give you more harmonies. These methods are somewhat different from other guitars since the strings of other guitars are usually strummed. Strumming on a Hawaiian guitar offers nice embellishment.
